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Applications of Renewable Energy Technologies on Buildings
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Applications of Renewable Energy Technologies on Buildings

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 18740

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yao Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108,USA
Interests: building energy conservation technology; building energy management; computational airflow modeling; HVAC system design and simulation; zonal modeling approach; geothermal heat pump; building/underground thermal energy storage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Abdulaziz Banawi

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Assitant Professor, Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105 Fargo, USA
Interests: sustainability; sustainable construction; life cycle assessment; green buildings; energy efficiencies; building information modeling; virtual reality; construction machine learning; lean construction; six-sigma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

(1) Introduction, including scientific background and highlighting the importance of this research area.

Renewable energy plays a significant role in the energy system design of modern buildings, especially green buildings, not only because of its potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also considering the shortage of non-renewable energy resources in the future. The applications of renewable energy technologies in buildings involve their integration with building systems (HVAC heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), electrical systems, etc.), in meeting building heating and/or cooling needs, as well as illuminance and other electrical needs. For example, solar and geothermal energy are commonly used in buildings, which can be collected through photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar thermal collectors, and geothermal systems such as ground source heat pumps (GSHPs). A variety of renewable energy systems have been developed for building applications, but it is just the beginning, and more extensive research on this topic is expected, especially considering the emergence of innovative energy collection and storage technologies and the continuous development of new materials to enhance heat transfer and storage.

(2) Aim of the Special issue and how the subject relates to the journal scope.

The aim of this Special Issue is thus publish studies related to innovative renewable energy technologies applied to buildings, especially energy-efficient and/or green buildings, for sustainable development.

(3) Suggest themes.

Specifically, in this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews related to renewable energy systems used in buildings are welcome. For example, the research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: renewable energy application in buildings, solar and geothermal energy systems, building energy-saving technologies, advanced energy storage technologies, energy retrofitting with renewable energy systems, sustainable and green/LEED buildings, life cycle analysis of building renewable energy, etc.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr.  Yao Yu
Prof. Dr.  Abdulaziz Banawi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • renewable energy
  • green buildings
  • solar photovoltaic technology
  • solar thermal energy
  • geothermal energy
  • thermal energy storage
  • building HVAC systems
  • energy resilience
  • ground source heat pump

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 7582 KiB  
Article
New Evacuated Tube Solar Collector with Parabolic Trough Collector and Helical Coil Heat Exchanger for Usage in Domestic Water Heating
by Sana Said, Sofiene Mellouli, Talal Alqahtani, Salem Algarni and Ridha Ajjel
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11497; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511497 - 25 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2340
Abstract
Buildings represent approximately two-thirds of the overall energy needs, mainly due to the growing energy consumption of air conditioning and water heating loads. Hence, it is necessary to minimize energy usage in buildings. Numerous research studies have been carried out on evacuated tube [...] Read more.
Buildings represent approximately two-thirds of the overall energy needs, mainly due to the growing energy consumption of air conditioning and water heating loads. Hence, it is necessary to minimize energy usage in buildings. Numerous research studies have been carried out on evacuated tube solar collectors, but to our knowledge, no previous study has mentioned the combination of an evacuated tube solar collector with a parabolic trough collector and a helical coil heat exchanger. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the thermal behavior of an innovative evacuated tube solar collector (ETSC) incorporated with a helical coil heat exchanger and equipped with a parabolic trough collector (PTC) used as a domestic water heater. To design the parabolic solar collector, the Parabola Calculator 2.0 software was used, and the Soltrace software was used to determine the optical behavior of a PTC. Moreover, an analytical model was created in order to enhance the performance of the new model of an ETSC by studying the impact of geometric design and functional parameters on the collector’s effectiveness. An assessment of the thermal behavior of the new ETSC was performed. Thus, the proposed analytical model gives the possibility of optimizing ETSCs used as domestic water heaters with lower computational costs. Furthermore, the optimum operational and geometrical parameters of the new ETSC base-helical tube heat exchanger include a higher thermal efficiency of 72%. This finding highlights the potential of the heat exchanger as an excellent component that can be incorporated into ETSCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Renewable Energy Technologies on Buildings)
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15 pages, 3028 KiB  
Article
Optimal Comfortable Load Schedule for Home Energy Management Including Photovoltaic and Battery Systems
by Mohammed Qais, K. H. Loo, Hany M. Hasanien and Saad Alghuwainem
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9193; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129193 - 7 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1750
Abstract
Although the main concern of consumers is to reduce the cost of energy consumption, zero-energy buildings are the main concern of governments, which reduce the carbon footprint of the residential sector. Therefore, homeowners are motivated to install distributed renewable energy resources such as [...] Read more.
Although the main concern of consumers is to reduce the cost of energy consumption, zero-energy buildings are the main concern of governments, which reduce the carbon footprint of the residential sector. Therefore, homeowners are motivated to install distributed renewable energy resources such as solar energy, which includes photovoltaics (PVs), solar concentrators, and energy storage systems (ESSs); these installations are intended to maintain the homeowners’ energy consumption, and the excess energy can be sold to the grid. In light of the comfort consumption suggestions made by users, this paper presents an optimal home energy management (HEM) for zero-energy buildings and low energy consumption. Firstly, this paper proposes a new optimization algorithm called random integer search optimization (RISO). Afterwards, we propose a new objective function to enable zero energy consumption from the grid and lower costs. Therefore, in this study, the primary energy resources for homes are PVs and ESSs, while the grid is on standby during the intermittency of the primary resources. Then, the HEM applies the RISO algorithm for an optimal day-ahead load schedule based on the day-ahead weather forecast and consumers’ comfort time range schedule. The proposed HEM is investigated using a schedule of habits for residential customers living in Hong Kong, where the government subsidizes the excess clean energy from homes to the grid. Three scenarios were studied and compared in this work to verify the effectiveness of the proposed HEM. The results revealed that the load schedule within the comfort times decreased the cost of energy consumption by 25% of the cost without affecting the users’ comfort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Renewable Energy Technologies on Buildings)
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18 pages, 4457 KiB  
Article
Design of a Ventilated Façade Integrating a Luminescent Solar Concentrator Photovoltaic Panel
by Giulio Mangherini, Paolo Bernardoni, Eleonora Baccega, Alfredo Andreoli, Valentina Diolaiti and Donato Vincenzi
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9146; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129146 - 6 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1454
Abstract
The increasing trend towards decarbonization requires the reduction of the environmental impact of the building sector that currently accounts for approximately 40% of the total CO2 emissions of European countries. Even though Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) panels could be a very promising [...] Read more.
The increasing trend towards decarbonization requires the reduction of the environmental impact of the building sector that currently accounts for approximately 40% of the total CO2 emissions of European countries. Even though Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) panels could be a very promising technology to be installed in urban environments, there is still little implementation of LSC panels in building façades. Here, the realization of a Ventilated Façade (VF) integrating an LSC device as an external pane is presented and a preliminary numerical and experimental investigation is used to evaluate the interaction between the different structure components. Thanks to the realization of a dedicated mock-up finite element method, models are calibrated and validated against experimental measurements, showing a good correspondence between simulated and measured data. Moreover, the electrical characterization of the LSC panel confirms that large area devices can be used as an external skin of VF, reporting a photovoltaic efficiency of 0.5%. The system’s thermal and optical properties (estimated thanks to the software COMSOL Multiphysics) encourage the continuation of the research by considering different technologies for the VF internal skin, by scaling up the case study, and by running the simulation of an entire building considering winter and summer energy demands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Renewable Energy Technologies on Buildings)
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27 pages, 3043 KiB  
Article
Parameter Extraction of Solar Photovoltaic Modules Using a Novel Bio-Inspired Swarm Intelligence Optimisation Algorithm
by Ram Ishwar Vais, Kuldeep Sahay, Tirumalasetty Chiranjeevi, Ramesh Devarapalli and Łukasz Knypiński
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8407; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108407 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1940
Abstract
For extracting the equivalent circuit parameters of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, a unique bio-inspired swarm intelligence optimisation algorithm (OA) called the dandelion optimisation algorithm (DOA) is proposed in this study. The suggested approach has been used to analyse well-known single-diode (SD) and double-diode [...] Read more.
For extracting the equivalent circuit parameters of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, a unique bio-inspired swarm intelligence optimisation algorithm (OA) called the dandelion optimisation algorithm (DOA) is proposed in this study. The suggested approach has been used to analyse well-known single-diode (SD) and double-diode (DD) PV models for several PV module types, including monocrystalline SF430M, polycrystalline SG350P, and thin-film Shell ST40. The DOA is adopted by minimizing the sum of the squares of the errors at three locations (short-circuit, open-circuit, and maximum power points). Different runs are conducted to analyse the nature of the extracted parameters and the V–I characteristics of the PV panels under consideration. Obtained results show that for Mono SF430M, the error in the SD model is 2.5118e-19, and the error in the DD model is 2.0463e-22; for Poly SG350P, the error in the SD model is 9.4824e-21, and the error in the DD model is 2.1134e-20; for thin-film Shell ST40, the error in the SD model is 1.7621e-20, and the error in DD model is 7.9361e-22. The parameters produced from the suggested method yield the least amount of error across several executions, which suggests its better implementation in the current situation. Furthermore, statistical analysis of the SD and DD models using DOA is also carried out and compared with two hybrid OAs in the literature. Statistical results show that the standard deviation, sum, mean, and variance of various PV panels using DOA are lower compared to those of the other two hybrid OAs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Renewable Energy Technologies on Buildings)
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26 pages, 12293 KiB  
Article
Optimal Design and Mathematical Modeling of Hybrid Solar PV–Biogas Generator with Energy Storage Power Generation System in Multi-Objective Function Cases
by Takele Ferede Agajie, Armand Fopah-Lele, Isaac Amoussou, Ahmed Ali, Baseem Khan and Emmanuel Tanyi
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8264; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108264 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2398
Abstract
This study demonstrates how to use grid-connected hybrid PV and biogas energy with a SMES-PHES storage system in a nation with frequent grid outages. The primary goal of this work is to enhance the HRES’s capacity to favorably influence the HRES’s economic viability, [...] Read more.
This study demonstrates how to use grid-connected hybrid PV and biogas energy with a SMES-PHES storage system in a nation with frequent grid outages. The primary goal of this work is to enhance the HRES’s capacity to favorably influence the HRES’s economic viability, reliability, and environmental impact. The net present cost (NPC), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the likelihood of a power outage are among the variables that are examined. A mixed solution involves using a variety of methodologies to compromise aspects of the economy, reliability, and the environment. Metaheuristic optimization techniques such as non-dominated sorting whale optimization algorithm (NSWOA), multi-objective grey wolf optimization (MOGWO), and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) are used to find the best size for hybrid systems based on evaluation parameters for financial stability, reliability, and GHG emissions and have been evaluated using MATLAB. A thorough comparison between NSWOA, MOGWO, and MOPSO and the system parameters at 150 iterations has been presented. The outcomes demonstrated NSWOA’s superiority in achieving the best optimum value of the predefined multi-objective function, with MOGWO and MOPSO coming in second and third, respectively. The comparison study has focused on NSWOA’s ability to produce the best NPC, LPSP, and GHG emissions values, which are EUR 6.997 × 106, 0.0085, and 7.3679 × 106 Kg reduced, respectively. Additionally, the simulation results demonstrated that the NSWOA technique outperforms other optimization techniques in its ability to solve the optimization problem. Furthermore, the outcomes show that the designed system has acceptable NPC, LPSP, and GHG emissions values under various operating conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Renewable Energy Technologies on Buildings)
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Review

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36 pages, 4536 KiB  
Review
Pathway to Sustainability: An Overview of Renewable Energy Integration in Building Systems
by Vennapusa Jagadeeswara Reddy, N. P. Hariram, Mohd Fairusham Ghazali and Sudhakar Kumarasamy
Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 638; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020638 - 11 Jan 2024
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7913
Abstract
Decarbonizing the building sector is crucial for mitigating climate change, reducing carbon emissions, and achieving an energy production–consumption balance. This research aims to identify key design principles and strategies to enhance energy savings and analyze the integration potential of renewable energy sources (RES) [...] Read more.
Decarbonizing the building sector is crucial for mitigating climate change, reducing carbon emissions, and achieving an energy production–consumption balance. This research aims to identify key design principles and strategies to enhance energy savings and analyze the integration potential of renewable energy sources (RES) such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass, providing in-depth technical exploration and evaluating current building developments. Moreover, the study also examines recent developments, explicitly focusing on integrating hybrid renewable energy systems, energy storage solutions, and AI-based technological innovations. Through comprehensive analysis and critical evaluation, this research provides valuable insights and practical recommendations for achieving building sustainability and advancing the transition towards a low-carbon built environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Renewable Energy Technologies on Buildings)
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